Def Leppard's United States distributor did the band an enormous injustice in not adequately promoting the band's 2002 release, "X" (as in, the Roman numeral for 10 -- the 10th album).  X is far and away the finest showcase of the band's growth as musicians, with songs like "Long Long Way To Go", which will absolutely blow you away.  There's far more to Def Leppard than their "luckiest cursed band in the world" story.

Def Leppard will always hold a very special place in my heart. Not simply because their music has largely served as the "background score" to my life, as well as many others who came of age in the 80s and 90s. This group of Brits started out living The Dream of every young heart -- becoming rock stars at the average age of 18 years old.  They HAD what every kid who ever held a hairbrush in their hand or danced around their bedroom singing to an imaginary crowd of screaming fans ever dreamed of. Even as some fell prey to their own celebrity, Def Leppard learned and grew from it -- as musicians and human beings -- and never quite seemed to recognize how staggering their popularity in the US really is.

Oddly, while they were at the pinnacle of success in the US, their music was not so well received at home in the UK.  Conversely, when they finally gained success at home, their star seemed to be setting prematurely in the US.  Like the mega-brilliant musicians the BeeGees before them, Def Leppard was associated with a genre that went out of style.  For the BeeGees, it was disco -- though they never considered themselves a disco group.  Their work was simply definitive of the best of the era, and thusly cast them as the Kings of Disco.  Great while it's hot -- bad when it's not.  Likewise, Def Leppard was cast in the cauldron of "hair bands", though they themselves never considered themselves a metal band, nor really cared about the fashions and styles of the time.  They were simply being themselves.  The genuine article.  They were the originals.  Because theirs was the definitive sound of the era, it worked for and against them.

The fact is, Def Leppard is a hard rocking band, but they were never one of the heavy metal hair bands.  These five gorgeous guys attracted a mostly female (60%+) audience and maintained a comet tail of adoring fans who worshiped everything from their musical talent to their torn jeans.

Then came the tragedies ... one after another. Drummer Rick Allen lost his arm and very nearly his life in an automobile accident.  Guitarist Steve Clark lost his battle to his inner demons and lost his life.  Bassist Rick "Sav" Savage developed Bell's Palsy in the 90s, leaving him with partial paralysis of the face.  Brutal hits, indeed ... and yet, the band persevered.  When all the hair bands had come and gone, Def Leppard was only growing tighter and more competent as musicians.

With the release of the album "YEAH!" in 2006 (an album of covers of their greatest musical influences), Def Leppard has emerged as more than survivors of a bygone era.  Their story is one every one of us can understand and relate to.  We all have dreams.  Some of us realize them, only to find that everything we ever wanted isn't all we thought it would be.  We all get older.  With age comes experiences and hard-won wisdom bought and paid for with pain, humiliations, tragedies and triumphs.  We all win sometimes and lose sometimes.  We all have our moments when the world is in the palm of our hands, and we all experience being taken down a notch by something in our lives that reminds us of just how human we are.

Def Leppard's story is not that of the stereotypical shooting star, but of perseverance and triumph over soul-breaking tragedy.  Their music reflects this maturity while retaining the rocking edge of our youth - long before the ways of the world first bloodied our noses.

Of special note is the emergence of drummer Rick Allen into the radiant spirit he has become. If his story alone doesn't touch and motivate you, just watch the man perform these days.  This is a man who has come to terms with life, and has learned to appreciate his blessings.

I highly recommend picking up any video material you can on Def Leppard.  There are several excellent DVDs available including videos, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage. From their earliest days to today, there is a subtext unfolding throughout their career that every one of us as humans can relate to. 

If you haven't given your old favorite band an ear in some time, the "X" and "Slang" albums are an absolute MUST-HAVE.  If you just appreciate the maturation of good musicians into outstanding musicians, you will enjoy their latest stuff, whether you liked them in the 80s and 90s or not. My teenage son had never heard of Def Leppard (can you IMAGINE it??) before I started playing my "X" and "Slang" CDs at home, in the car, and everywhere I went. My son knows good music when he hears it, and now considers Def Leppard one of his favorite groups. He's commandeered my FAVORITE T-shirt and laughingly tells me that since I didn't take him to the 2007 concert when I went (hubby insisted on going - what are ya gonna do?), I owed it to him to let him have the shirt. He wears it with pride to school, and LOVES to be asked about the band.

Here's to Def Leppard -- a band who stands as one of the finest examples to these generations that spirit, intention and perseverance create a life of joy whether you're the top-selling rock stars in the world, or just the everyday Joe. Whatever your story - wherever you've been in life - you can find inspiration in Def Leppard's musical life story.

Those who are interested in learning more about the band can visit their web site at defleppard.com. For example: Def Leppard holds a Guinness World Record  - unbroken to this day - for performing on three different continents in ONE DAY!